Check it out, it should be fun. I'll have to gargle and speak in a whisper until then, but if you missed me at ScienceOnline '09 last weekend, you'll be able to hear my heroic tenor tones wax philosophical about art and science on Friday.If the Darwin Took Steps oil painting is to your liking, don't forget to check out the reproductions available in my online shop. I think there's still time to pick up cards, prints, canvas repros and sweatshop-free t-shirts in a variety of colours to give to your evolution-loving and rational friends for Darwin Day (Feb 12th).And half the proceeds from the sales of my Darwin Took Steps swag goes toward helping build a reproduction of the legendary Beagle that took Darwin on the voyage that changed everything. These Beagle Project people are serious, committed and inspiring. Why not help build an educational and scientific mission to resonate in our day as Darwin's voyage resonated in his?Catch you on the podcast!

Sean, I think it is a piece of fine art being used as an illustration.

There, did I hedge my bets enough? ;-)

Actually, I tend to think of it more as an illustration. The fine art world doesn't contain a whole lot of straight up surreal portraits these days, and in any case more people have seen the electronic version than have ever seen the original.

Not that being an original makes it fine art: I just mean I've been using it to illustrate this blog.